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Digoxin : Interaction with Foods, Herbs & Alcohol


Are you taking Digoxin? Are you aware of the dangers of combining Digoxin with certain foods, herbs, or alcohol? Drug-food-interactions are seldom discussed but can lead to undesirable side effects and potentially diminish the efficacy of the medication.

Digoxin Interactions with Food and Herbs

Banana: Avoid eating banana when you are on digoxin as it increases the potassium level in the body. Excess potassium can lead to heart failure or irregular heartbeat.
Fiber Rich Foods: Foods rich in fiber like wheat bran muffins and psyllium interact with digoxin and reduce the absorption of digoxin from the digestive tract. So take digoxin 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating foods that are rich in fiber.
Salt Substitutes: Digoxin interacts with foods that contain salt substitutes, where potassium is replaced by sodium. Due to this interaction, the effectiveness of digoxin in treating heart failure may be decreased.
Senna and St.John's Wort: Digoxin interacts with both Senna and St. John's wort, which lead to a reduction in the amount and activity of digoxin in the body.
Black Licorice with Glycyrrhizin: When you are on digoxin, avoid black licorice in your diet as it may result in irregular heartbeat and heart attack.
Hawthorn Berry and Siberian Ginseng: These herbs interact with digoxin and increase the activity of digoxin in the body.

Digoxin Interactions with Alcohol

Avoid alcohol while taking digoxin as it will make you more drowsy. Mixing of alcohol with digoxin will decrease the amount of the drug in your bloodstream which may cause abnormalities in heart function. Due to this interaction high blood pressure and congestive heart failure also can occur.

When and How to Take Digoxin

Digoxin is available in the forms of a tablet, capsule and pediatric elixir. It is usually taken once in a day. You should not change the brand of digoxin as different brands have a different amount of active drug. To measure the elixir, use an appropriate marked dropper. Don't take less or more amount of digoxin than the recommended level. Follow the given instructions exactly.

Drug Name : Digoxin

Cariprazine is an atypical antipsychotic drug that is prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia (a serious mental illness that interferes with the person’s behavior and emotions). It is also used for the treatment of manic episodes of bipolar disorder (a disease that causes abnormal moods, depression and mania). The drug mainly acts by altering the effect of several chemicals in the brain.
We recommend consulting your doctor to verify the information presented on this page or if you need any further clarifications.


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Digoxin for Medical Condition(s)